Tachinid or not?

I'd welcome help in identifying this very spinose creature, which I beleive to be calypterate and might be tachinid (long not rounded 3rd antennal segment, full set of wing cells, post-scutellum evident, but hypopleural bristles poor and indistinct, hind tibia very strongly bristled.

Re: Tachinid or not?

To me this looks like an Anthomyiidae, but that would not have a subscutellum. However, if it were a Tachinid, the hypopleural bristles would be quite obvious. I think I can make out a small ventral bristle on the hind basitarsis which suggests Anthomyiidae.

Re: Tachinid or not?

Thank you. This one has been a real puzzle. It has a fairly substantial subscutellum (light grey, black on the lower edge) as if it were a tachinid, but vein 4 goes straight to the wing margin. Vein 6 certainly reaches the margin. The costa, just short of where the subcosta joins it, has two prominent forward-projecting spines apart from the usual short spines. All legs are very strongly spinose, and on the thorax the mesopleuron has three very long and strong bristles. Thorax light grey, with acrostichals and dorsocentrals on three dark lines. Halteres orange. No significant colouration of the wings or veins. My imperfect picture does I think show a large inner calypter.

Re: Tachinid or not?

Botanophila could be another possibility (I had tons of B.fugax at the weekend) but a female anthomyiid's probably not going to produce a definitive result from a photo. Or even with the specimen in hand! Happy to be proved wrong though!

Re: Tachinid or not?

I would agree with Anthomyiidae. The subscutellum immediately under the scutellum will be narrow, and it is very easy to think that the bulging mesonotum (I hope I'm applying this term correctly) beneath it is a swollen one indicating Tachinidae. As mentioned above the hypopleural bristles are another important thing to check.

Re: Tachinid or not?

Thanks to all who have made suggestions. I now am convinced tha tthis is an Anthomyid, probably Botanophila. I've learned a great deal from this exchange, and am thinking of signing on for the course on Anthomyids at Preston Montfort next Feb.